In five seconds, the band stopped playing and patrons began self-evacuating. A single door accessed the side-D stage area. The Jimmy Gahan Charitable Foundation, which James established with his wife, was instrumental in the radio station getting an upgrade, the Telegram & Gazette reported. Russell added that he is "glad" the film was made. Bellino said that after this two-hour broadcast version airs, he hopes to release the documentary in its originally conceived format a multi-episode series. I mean, it was a long time. Almost twenty years after one of the deadliest building fires in history, the owners of West Warwick, Rhode Island's The Station nightclub are speaking out. It primarily features the inspiring story of Joe, Carrie, and Hadley Kinan". One hundred people, including college student Jimmy Gahan, died. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. REELZ has announced the networks original documentary Americas Deadliest Rock Concert: The Guest List premieres Sunday, February 20th at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT presenting the deeply personal stories of lives forever altered by the tragic Station nightclub fire that left 100 people dead, more than 200 injured, and devastated the tight-knit community of West Warwick, Rhode Island. One hundred people were killed and more than 200 injured from a crowd that attended the performance of the band Great White at the Station nightclub. Low 28F. That was the last time I saw him. Documentary. Here is the official synopsis: "The documentary presents the deeply personal stories of lives forever altered by the tragic Station nightclub fire that left 100 people dead, more than 200 injured . Set to premiere on the REELZ network at 8 p.m. on Feb. 20 - the 19th anniversary of the blaze that claimed 100 lives - is Bellino . Current and former officials from several fire departments, including West Warwick's, declined to comment for this article. Early reports estimated actual occupancy between 420 and 440. "On the 20th February 2003 at the Station Nightclub in Rhode Island, pyrotechnics set fire to acoustic foam surrounding the stage." As always, THANK YOU to. This site uses cookies by us and our advertising partners to deliver relevant advertising on our site, personalized content and to perform analytics. Dee was involved in a fundraising event as well as a documentary. On February 20, 2003, a real tragedy occurred when a fire broke out at the Station Night Club while Great White were performing to a crowd of about 400 people. It could fairly be said that music and rock culture drew one hundred innocent people to their deaths in The Station fire. The first capture is January 26th 2000. Four pyrotechnic devices known as "gerbs" located on the stage as part of the performing band's opening act were the source of ignition. On the west, the Town of Coventry was protected by seven independent fire departments and districts; some with on-duty career staff. The first officer, temporarily pinned inside the vestibule, was also forcibly ejected outside by the crowd. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The professional association representing West Warwick firefighters was offered the opportunity to comment for this article, but declined to respond. REELZ says on its website, The Guest Listis a film about the lives affected and forever connected by one of the most horrific tragedies in music history. "I look at it like this: if it makes it easier for them to grieve the loss of somebody close to them, then my shoulders are big enough," he explained. "I think it's ruining all the positive strides that we're now making to heal here in Rhode Island," Jody King, whose brother Tracy was a bouncer at the Station, told the Associated Press in 2015. The documentary includes interviews with Dee Snider, Eddie Trunk, Jack Russell, John Barylick, Paula McLaughlin, Sandi Arena, Scotty Dunbar, Mike Ricardi, Lita Ford, Don Dokken, Michael Sweet, Vikki Eagan, and others. On the night of February 20, 2003, more than 400 music fans packed into the small Station nightclub. Copyright 2013-2023 The Music Universe. All rights reserved. This Day in History: Station Nightclub Fire in Rhode Island (Sunday, February 20) 5:32. Resources were close, mostly career staffed and, as agencies routinely monitor neighboring radio traffic, responses were immediate. Two West Warwick police officers were inside the club. Then, it was just me. This article was originally published on Oct. 22, 2021. "I've seen so many video tapes of pyro shooting off in that club with the foam bigger stuff than we had and it never happened," Jack told Psycho Babble TV." Kendall later said he was asked to join Russell and his solo band on the tour to help boost attendance. I just remember him smiling and then heading off while he floated on cloud nine. Metal handrail and parked vehicles impede . For many of those passionate fans, what appeared to be their very luckiest day turned out to be their last. When something like this happens, you always wonder if you told the people around us if you loved them enough. The town's eight square miles and 30,000 residents are bordered by the cities of Cranston on the north and Warwick on the east, both with career departments. The fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick began in an overcrowded club when pyrotechnics from Russell's GREAT WHITE ignited illegal soundproofing foam lining the club's walls. "The documentary addresses timeless themes of personal responsibility, acceptance forgiveness and redemption. Ten years after the fire, WPRI, a Providence news channel, gave this . The Guest List will premiere on the REELZ channel at 8 pm on Sunday, February 20. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends). (Bill Greene/The Boston Globe via Getty Images). I said to myself, If I have a choice in this Im not going out this way. I heard the voice of a firefighter yell, Weve got one over here. I was placed on a stretcher and rushed to the nearest hospital. By 2312 hours, five West Warwick police officers were on location. One member, guitarist Ty Longley, was killed in the fire. TV-G. The front (side A) and half of the east side (side B) provided parking for numerous vehicles and was accessible only from Cowesett Road. Directed by John Barnard Chris Charney Scott R. Leary. We talk about the Station nightclub fire that happened 19 years ago. Michelle R. Smith / Associated Press Facebook "America's Deadliest Rock Concert: The Guest List" premiers Feb 20th on @ReelzChannelhttps://t.co/uQPOE13agm, Dee Snider (@deesnider) February 5, 2022. "On the night of February 20th, 2003 America's deadliest rock concert began in West Warwick, Rhode Island, when the band GREAT WHITE ignited pyrotechnics inside a run-down roadhouse called The Station. 13:01. Its a very sensitive topic, a very difficult subject to get people to open up about.. At least one relative of a Station fire victim was angered by Russell's plan to make a documentary about the incident and discuss it in the upcoming book. You could just see the perpetual smile on his face. Your local, independent source for Whats Up in Newport, Rhode Island, and beyond. On Feb. 20, 2003, the nation's fourth-deadliest nightclub fire occurred in the Town of West Warwick, RI, killing 100 people and injuring nearly 300. Americas Deadliest Rock Concert: The Guest List explores the Station nightclub fire through gripping survivor accounts and family members and friends of victims who have memorialized their loss through pursuits ranging from an exhibit of commemorative body art to re-immersion in the rock culture that initially brought them and their loved ones to the Station nightclub. I spent the next 50 weeks in the hospital. More than 200 people were injured, and it devastated the tight-knit community of West Warwick. Weeks after the fire a charred handwritten notebook page was recovered from the Station nightclub ashes that contained rows of names and above them were the words Guest List., Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. YurView is proud to partner with REELZ on this important and compelling documentary. This documentary not only serves as a reminder of this incredible tragedy, but it shines a light on an amazing group of people who overcame unfathomable loss, and survived, even thrived in the aftermath.. Feb 20, 2023. There's a certain thing in music that is very healing, and it's helped a lot of people through the aftermath of the fire.". "It's been a long, long time. With John Barnard, Destini Boldt, Jaret McNabb, Nick Merrells. The film explores the fire through survivor accounts and family members and friends of victims who have memorialized their loss through pursuits ranging from an exhibit of commemorative body art to re-immersion in the rock culture that initially brought them and their loved ones to the Station. The Station Fire Memorial in West Warwick, R.I., at the site of The Station nightclub fire that killed 100 and injured more than 200 people in 2003. Measurements from a fire test of a reconstructed portion of the platform and dance floor physically produced, also within 90 seconds, conditions exceeding survivability limits.). The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. That was the starting point.. A new documentary recounting that terrible night . Tanzi's bill would make permanent COVID-19 programs that eliminated the need for students to pay for their own meals and, she says, would "encourage schools to purchase food from local farms, ask schools to engage with the community to cook culturally relevant meals and allow parents with means to pay for meals if they choose." Battalion 1 (the duty chief), Engine 1 and Rescue 1 were quartered within two miles. Biechele pleaded guilty in 2006 to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter and was paroled after serving less than half of his four-year prison sentence. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. The fire started at the West Warwick club when a manager for the band Great White set off pyrotechnics for the band's show . He spent less than three years behind bars. Ty Longley - Great White's lead guitarist was amongst the . One Internet search produced 15 million hits for The Station Nightclub Fire, compared to 362,000 for the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire; 76,000 for the Cocoanut Grove fire and 3,000 for the Rhythm Night Club fire (see page 96). Kent County Hospital was within three miles. So [the movie] gave me the opportunity to talk about how I felt and for me to apologize. Prior to fire department arrival, escaping patrons seeking medical help and relief from temperatures in the 20s migrated toward the Cowesett Inn restaurant (CIR) located 200 feet diagonally northeast across Cowesett Road. SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. Local filmmaker David Bellino will share deeply personal stories of lives forever changed by the 2003 Station nightclub fire in his new documentary on the tragedy, airing this weekend. I say, dont wait. Hopefully, this story will make us all change our lives just a little bit so we never have another Station nightclub disaster., Dee Snider, Twisted Sister frontman, once played the Station nightclub and many others just like it in cities and towns across the country, as was common for many rock and metal bands of the 80s era.